Falling Into Black

“So Katie is with her orphaned brother at St. Mungo’s?” James asked after Natalie explained her friend’s situation to the boys. Natalie nodded sadly.

“Why does everything happen to her?” Remus asked.

“I don’t know. Maybe she’s just unlucky” Natalie shrugged. James’ eyes lit up as he looked over at Sirius.

“That’s it! All she needs is a little luck” he said excitedly. Everyone looked at him in confusion. “Sirius, you could give her some of your Liquid Luck.”

“That’s a great idea, except there’s one problem” Sirius muttered. “I lost the stupid little vial. I have no idea where it is.”

“The one time you loose something, it’s something we actually need” Remus grumbled, sinking into the couch.

“You think I wanted to loose it, Remus?” Sirius asked challenging, his grey eyes flashing dangerously. “You think I wanted to loose something that could help the girl I love?”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa” Natalie said quickly, seeing that this could possibly end up as a fight. “Easy, Sirius. Fighting isn’t going to find the vial or help Katie.” Sirius sighed. “Now it’s been a stressful year, everyone is on edge, but ripping each other’s throats out isn’t going to solve anything.” The four boys nodded.

“Sorry, Moony” Sirius sighed, rubbing his face. “I didn’t mean to snap at you. It’s just…it hurts to think that someone so sweet and nice could have so many things done to her.”

“I understand” Remus smiled slightly. Sirius cracked a smile back. “Okay, so what can we do for her?”

“I don’t think there is much we can do” Sirius sighed.

“Wrong” Natalie scoffed. They looked at her confused. “We can be there for her. And I’m pretty sure if we ask Professor Dumbledore, we can go to the funeral with her.”

“I’m going even if he says no” Sirius muttered to himself.

“So am I, but we still have to ask” Natalie stated.

“Now?” Peter asked.

“No. Tomorrow” James said. “It’s nearly 2:00 am. He’d be most likely asleep.”

“Okay, so tomorrow, instead of going to class, we should go ask” Natalie said. They nodded. “For now, lets get some sleep.”

-

Katie brushed back some blonde hair from her face as she stared down at the sleeping infant in her arms. Jacob was fast asleep, with his tiny thumb in his mouth. He looked so adorable and fragile when he was asleep. But, though he had an innocent face, his pale blue eyes looked old and wise. Like hers from what her parents had told her. And like Jacob, she was born on the day a family member died. That had been both the worst and best Christmas her parents had ever experienced. Christine’s mother had peacefully slipped away in her sleep as Katie had taken her first breath. A life for another. The circle of life.

Katie sighed softly as she gently set Jacob into his crib, and then sat in the chair next to it. Tears finally began leaking from her eyes. Why’d you have to leave us? Why did that person have to take you from us? I’ve already been punished, but how could you leave Jacob? A child for Christ sakes!

Katie squeezed her eyes shut and put her face into her hands. What has he done to deserve this? What has he done? Why are you doing this to him? He’s too young. Too pure and fragile.

Just then, Christine and Luka’s faces appeared in her mind’s eyes. They smiled sadly, before disappearing. Katie opened her eyes to look at her brother. Right then and there, she made a vow to protect him from anything and everything that could hurt him.

- - - - - - - -

Natalie woke up to being shaken the next morning. Opening her eyes, she saw Katie sitting on her bed.

“Natalie, can you come with me today?” Katie asked softly. Natalie then noticed that Katie was dressed in black from head to toe.

“It’s today?” Natalie asked, shocked. Katie nodded. “Why?”

“I don’t know. They just wanted to do it today” Katie answered.

“They?”

“I don’t know who ‘they’ are, but Professor Dumbledore told me” Katie said. “Will you come with me?”

“Of course” Natalie answered instantly. “Are you going to ask the guys?” Katie nodded.

“I’m going to wake them now” Katie murmured. Natalie nodded. “Thank you, Natalie. This means a lot.”

“I’d do anything for you, Kitty” Natalie smiled. Katie smiled smally back, before walking out of the dorm.

-
When Katie opened the boy’s dorm door, her ears were instantly plagued by loud snoring. If it wasn’t for Katie mood, she would’ve laughed, but instead, she walked over to Sirius. He seemed to be the only one not snoring.

“Sirius” Katie whispered, gently shaking him. His eyes opened instantly, and Katie could see that he hadn’t been asleep. His eyes were bloodshot from exhaustion.

“Why are you dressed like that?” he asked as he sat up. Katie was dressed in a short black dress that stopped at her knees, with a sweater pull-over over it and a pair of black flats.

“I’m going to the funeral” she sighed.

“Now?” he asked, shocked. Katie nodded.

“I was wondering if you’d like to come with me and Natalie.”

“Of course” Sirius answered. She smiled thankfully as he kicked off the covers.

“I’m going to wake them up” she said, nodding to the other three boys. Luckily, the Marauders all shared a room.

“I’m going to get dressed” he said. She nodded, before moving to wake up the snoring James.

-

Katie was beyond thankful to her friends. They all had agreed to come with her, which made this day about 15 times more bearable. She didn’t know what she would do without them. Lily was coming too, having woken up while Natalie was changing and asked to come.

It was 8:30 in the morning, and the funeral started at 9:30. Katie was dreading it. She didn’t want to see all the fake or real sympathetic faces of the guests. She just wanted to crawl into bed and never wake up. But she couldn’t. She had to bury her parents.

-
-

The 7 of them when to Katie’s house by Floo Powder. Instantly, the dark lonliness of the house seeped into Katie, making her feel even more depressed than she already was. It was like the house knew that its residents were never going to live here again.

“Wow, this is so depressing” Lily whispered, looking around at all the furniture in the living room. Everything was covered in a white sheet. Whether it was Katie parents or the Ministry that had done it, she didn’t know. Katie wandered through the living room, looking around at the pale blue walls, which would’ve normally made her smile only made her heart hurt. If one looked closely at the walls, you could see teeny tiny little hearts painted in random places.

A car honk brought everyone out of their thoughts. “That must be the Ministry’s car” Remus sighed. “We should go.”

“You guys go ahead, I’ll be right there” Katie said in a distant voice. As her friends went out the front door to the car, Katie pulled the white sheet from off of the bookshelf. Several photos stared back at her, each of something different. In the middle though, surround by all the little photos was the wedding photo. Luka had his arm around the angelic Christine, a large grin on his face. Christine looked beautiful in her white dress, with her hair down in elegant waves.

“I’m sorry, Katie” Sirius said behind her. She jumped, and looked at him over his shoulder. He looked handsome in his all black tux, but his normally cheerful face was sad.

“For what?” she asked. He moved closer to her until he was standing beside her.

“That you have to do this” he sighed. “If there was any way I could change this, I would do it in a heartbeat.” Katie looked at the none-moving photo, before picking it up.

“My greatest regret is that it was them instead of me” Katie said softly. So softly that Sirius had to strain to hear.

“No, don’t say that, Katie” he said firmly, pulling her chin up so he looking into her eyes. Tears were swimming through her pale blue eyes. “They wouldn’t have wanted you to say that. They would’ve wanted you to live on to be a happy old woman surrounded by all your children and grand-children. I know they loved you, and they wouldn’t’ve wanted you to feel guilt of their death.”

“What if—” she started to say, but he cut her off by pulling her into a hug.

“You can’t blame yourself, Katie. It isn’t your fault” Sirius said softly.

“I miss them, Sirius” Katie whispered into his chest. “I miss them more with each passing day. I can only think of what could’ve been. Jacob wouldn’t be an orphan; he would grow up with his parents loving and cherishing him. They would watch him marry and father his kids.” She paused to take a shaky breath. “But they didn’t even get to touch him. Or hold him. They were taken from their son.”

“And daughter” Sirius added, brushing her hair away from her forehead. “But they’ll always be with you.” He touched her heart gently. “In here.” Katie closed her eyes as she pressed her face into his chest, tightening her fists in his jacket. He waited patiently as she struggled to regain her composure, just rubbing her back comfortingly.

Finally, she pulled away and wiped her eyes. “Thank you, Sirius.” He smiled gently, catching a tear with his thumb as it escaped.

“You’re welcome.”